Buttonhole sewing machine



(No Model.) 4 Shets-Sheet 1.

W. F. FAIR. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 500,708. Patented July 4, 1893.

(-No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. F. PAIR.

BUTTONHOLE- SEWING MACHINE.- No. 500,708. Patented'July 4, 1893.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WI. PAIR. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

M m. 0 9 7 m w H m igm 3g 1 .Y m 3 J m F J 3 M T m No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. F. FAIR. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 500,708. Patented July 4, 1893.

, sewing machine having a horizontal shaft for main shaft by a worm and wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FULTON FAIR, OF LONDON, ASSIGNOR TO ISAAC LOVELL BERRIDGE,

OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,708, dated July 4, 1893.

Application filed August 30, 1892- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM FULTON FAIR, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines for Barring Buttonholes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that kind of button-hole finishing machines which form the bar of the button hole by a series of long stitches at right angles to the button hole and another series of stitches overlying the first series of stitches at right angles thereto.

For facility of description I will describe my improvements as applied to a lock-stitch actuating the shuttle, such as a Wheeler & Wilson machine.

In carrying out the invention I provide a spring-clamp for holding the material with the button hole to be barred beneath the needle of the machine, the said clamp being adapted to feed'the material in order to enable the needle to efiect the stitching as above described. In order that the end of the button hole to be barred shall be placed in proper position beneath the needle of the machine, I provide the clamp with a projecting stop or guide onto which the button hole can be placed with the end to be barred bearing against it but, as the saidstop would be in the way of the needle, I arrange on the clamp means for moving the stop out of the way as the clamp is closing to hold the material.

To impart the necessary movement to the clamp when applying the series of long stitches at right angles to the button hole, I connect to the said clamp a lever adapted to be operated by a cam, and for imparting the movement to the clamp necessary for applying the series of overlying stitches I connect another lever to the said clamp also adapted to be operated by a cam, the said cams being advantageously driven from the main shaft of the machine by suitable gearing. The feed necessary for applying the overlying stitches side by side is effected by another cam through the medium of the first named lever, the said cam being advantageously driven from the Suitable means such as cams driven by the said worm gearing are employed for putting the lovers Serial No. 44:4,509. (N model.)

into and out of connection with their respective cams at the required times. One important advantage of this combination of parts for giving the necessary movements to the clamp is, that it afiords the means of readily regulating the number and closeness of the stitches and so adapting the machine to different classes of work, by changing the worm and worm wheel as hereinafter described. Such a result I believe to be quite novel in this kind of machines.

To start the machine I provide a lever connected to a sliding spring-bar having a belt fork for throwing the driving belt from the loose onto the fast driving pulley. The said bar has two catches, one of which serves to engage with a lever to maintain the belt on the fast pulley the said lever being also adapted to engage with a projection on the Wormwhcel hereinbefore mentioned so that, when the said wheel has completed a revolution, which is necessary to form the barring, it moves the said lever, thereby allowing the strap fork to move and throw the belt off the fast pulley. The other catch serves when the belt is thrown OK as described to engage with a tooth on a disk on the main shaft to stop the machine when the needle is at its highest point.

To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an under side view of a Wheeler & WVilson lockstitch sewing machine having my improved button-hole barring mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same partly in section, the section being taken on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the head of the machine, the section being taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2. 4 is a plan view of the work-plate. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5, 5, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are under side views partlyin section showing the arrangement of cams and levers for operating the work holding clamp. Figs. 8, 9 and are sections on the lines 8, 8; 9, 9; and 10, 10 respectively of Fig. 1. Figs. 11 to are views of the different cams detached. Fig. 21 is a view showing how the stitches forming the bar of a button hole are applied.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

a is the bed-plate of the machine, 6 the swan-neck, c the driving shaft carried in bearings d, cl; 6 the cage or cradle for the hook or shuttle, and fa cam for operating the takeup g, all of which parts are of ordinary construction and require no further description.

It is my work holding clamp which comprises a sliding bar or plate h adapted to slide upon the upper side of the work-plate and having attached to or formed integral with it an arm 7L designed with the bar it to embrace the work-plate and to bear against the under side of the same, as shown most clearly in Fig 3, and also comprising a movable jaw, shown in the drawings as a springarm h secured to the bar 7L2 and having its free end serrated or roughened and adapted to hold the work between itself and a correspondingly serrated or roughened surface upon the bar It. In the clamping ends of the clamp are formed openings h, through which the needle of the machine can pass, the said openings being of sufficient size to allow the necesary movements of the work holding clamp to take place relatively to the needle. 71 is the stop which insures that the end of the button-hole shall be placed in the work holding clamp in proper position relatively to the needle of the machine. This stop is located in a groove in the bar 71. and is attached to or formed integral with a bar 2" sliding upon the bar it, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, screws 2' i being passed through the bar 71 for the purpose of guiding it. The opposite end of the bar t" to that carrying the stop 1' is jointed to an arm 2' attached to the spring-arm h as shown in Fig. 3, in such a manner that when the clamping end of the spring-bar h descends to clamp the work the said bar i will be moved so as to draw the stop t' to a position in which the needle cannot come into contact with it. \Vhen the clamp is again opened the stop t is moved back again ready for fixing the position of another button hole. The opening of the clamp is efiected by connecting the spring-arm h to the lifting-bar j in the head of the machine by means of a chain j. With this arrangement it will be understood that when the bar j is lifted by means of the leverj Fig. 2, the clamp will be opened, and that when the bar j is again allowed to descend the clamp will close and hold the work.

his the lever through the medium of which the necessary movements of the clamp when applying the series of long stitches are effected, the said lever being pivoted to the base plate at and connected to the arm h of the clamp by means of a rod 70 which rod, as shown, is formed in two parts connected by screwsso as to make it readily adjustable as regards length. This lever 70 carries a pivoted 3.111176 provided at its free end with a roller 20 and is operated by a cam 7& secured to a bevel gear-wheel 7& mounted upon a stud k and driven by a bevel-pinion 70 upon the main shaft 0 of the machine. The gear-wheel k and the pinion 70 are shown in the drawings in the proportion of two to one so that for two revolutions of the pinion k the wheel 70 makes one revolution. The cam 70*", which is shown in face and edge view, in Figs. 11 and 12 respectively, is so shaped that during one half of its revolution, that is, while the driving shaft makes a completerevolution and the needle moves down and up again, the clamp will be in a position corresponding to one end of the long stitches and that during the other part of its revolution the clamp will be in a position corresponding to the other end of the long stitches, that is to say, after each down and upward movement of the needle to form a stitch the clamp will be moved in one or the other direction, as indicated by the two arrows 1 in Fig. 4.

7c is a spring which, after the lever 70 has been moved by the cam in one direction, returns the said lever to its original position.

Z is the lever by means of which the clamp is moved in the directions of the arrows 2 of Fig. 4 for the application of the overlying stitches, the said lever being pivoted at Z to the base-plate and at one end Z pivoted to the arm 72 of the clamp while the other end is acted upon by a spring 1*.

Z is the cam by means of which this lever is actuated, the said cam, which is of substantially the same shape as the cam 70 and which is shown in face and edge view respectively in Figs. 13 and 14, being secured to the cam 70 and moving therewith. This cam Z acts upon the lever Z through the medium of the arm Z carrying the roller Z and acted upon by the spring Z the said arm Z having formed integral with it a lever-arm Z for a purpose hereinafter described. With this arrangement it will be understood that, assuming the roller Z to be in contact with the periphery of the cam F, the movement of the latter will cause the movement of the lever Z upon its pivot Z and thereby move the work clamp in the direction of the arrows 2 Fig. 4:.

In the operation of the machine the clamp is first of all moved to apply the long stitches and then to apply the overlying stitches. It is therefore obvious that while the long stitches are being applied the roller Z of the lever Z must be out of contact with its cam Z and during the time that the overlying stitches are being applied the roller 70 of the lever is must be out of contact with its cam 70. Further it is necessary while applying the overlying stitches that the work clamp should be caused to travel in the required direction to cause the stitches to be applied side by side. In order to produce these different results I provide three cams m, n, 0 secured to a wormwheel 19 carried upon a stud p and adapted to be driven by a worm 19 upon the driving shaft 0 of the machine.

The cam mwhich is shown in face and edge view in Figs. 15 and 16 is designed to hold the roller Z out of operative contact with its cam Z during the time that the roller 76 is in operative contact with its cam 70 This cam m acts against a projection m upon a lever m one end of which is pivoted" at m while the other end m is adapted to bear upon the lever-arm Z of the arm Z in such a manner that when the high part of the cam m is in contact with'the projection on the lever m will with its end m press upon the lever-arm Valid hold the roller Pin the required position as in Fig. 6. i j

To insure that when the lever m acts upon the lever Z of the arm Z the lever Z shall remain stationary, the spring 1* is made stronger than the spring I so that the latter will yield and allow the necessary movement of the arm Z To insure also that while the work clamp is being moved for the application of the long stitches it shall be in such a position (as regards its movement in the direction of the arrows 2, Fig. 4) that the needle when applying the overlying stitches shall enter the work at equal distances from the two sides of the said long stitches I provide in the arm Z a screw Z which when the roller Z is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6 will bear against the end of the lever land so insure that the position of the work clamp shall be absolutely controlled by the high part of the cam m.

The cam n which is shown in face view and edge View respectively in Figs. 17 and 18 is designed to act upon a projection 77/ upon an arm n pivoted to the base plate at n and at one end acted upon by a spring 92 the other end being slotted or recessed to embrace the lever k carrying the roller When the high part of the cam 91 acts against the projection n the lever n will be lifted against the pressure of the spring a in order to hold the arm so that its roller 70 is out of operative contact with the cam 70 as shown in Fig. 7. When,however, the arm n is in contact With the low part of the cam n the lever 70 will drop sufficiently to place its roller k in operative contact with the said cam is, as shown in Fig. 6.

The earn 0 which is shown in face and edge view respectively in Figs. 19 and 20 is adapted to act against a projection 0 (Figs. 6 and 7) upon the lever 70 and the difference between the highest and lowest parts of the cam 0 corresponds to the length of bar to be formed upon the button hole so that as the said cam o is rotated it will, by acting against the projection 0', move the lever is and consequently also the work-clip h the required distance.

The cams m, 02,0 are so arranged relatively to each other that the high part of the cam m operates against the projection on of the lever m during the time that the arm at of the lever n is in contact with the low part of its cam and vice versa, and that while the high part of the cam n is in contact with the projection n of the lever 92 and the lower part of the cam on in contact with the projection m thepart of the cam 0 of gradually increasing diameter will be acting upon the projection 0' to move the work clip h to cause the stitches to be applied side by side.

In order to regulate the number of stitches in the bar and the number and closeness of the overlying stitches it is only necessary to provide worm-wheels such as p with a greater or less number of teeth and to provide corresponding worms so that the needle will make a greater or less number of up and down movements during one rotation of the Wormwheel. Thus by changing the worm and Worm wheel the number and closeness of stitches required for different classes of work can be obtained. In all prior machines no such provision for adaptation was secured, and it is an important feature of my present arrangements that the cams 70 and Z with the parts which they operate are so arranged in relation to the cams m, n and 0 and the worm p and the worm-wheel 1) that this adaptability is secured.

I q is the belt or driving pulley fixed to the shaft c, and q is a loose pulley upon which the belt runs during the time that the work is being introduced into and removed from the work holding clamp. g is the belt fork which serves to transfer the belt from one pulley to the other. This fork is secured to a rod g sliding in guides at g g in the under side of the bed-plate a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10.

Upon this rod (1 is a collar g and between this collar and one of the guides q isa spring g which tends to move the fork into the position for the belt to run upon the loose pulley g. In order to move the fork to transfer the belt from the loose to the fast pulleyI extend the shaft 0", Figs. 2 and 10, (upon which shaft 7' the take-up g is free to oscillate) through the side of the swan-neck band upon 1 this projecting ,end I fix a lover s. I also fix to the shaft 1' an arm twhieh acts against the collar g in such a manner that when the lever .5 is depressed the said collar and with it the rod q will be moved against the pressure of the spring q To retain the rod q, in this position so that the belt will run upon the fast pulley I attach to the said baracatch or collar it having an inclined or conical surface adapted, when the said rod g is moved to shift the belt onto the fast pulley, to impinge against one end of a lever 11, the other end of which is pivoted at 12, Figs. 1 and 9, and which is acted upon by a spring "0 in such a manner that when the collar 'u, impinges against the free end of the said lever 12 it will cause the same to descend, the spring o after the collar has passed drawing the said lever behind the collar so as to prevent the rod (1 from moving back again.

In order that, when the bar is finished, the machine shall be automatically s .opped,I fix upon the worm-wheel p a lug or projection 93 designed at each revolution of the said wheel to act upon an army upon the lever'o in such a manner as to lower the said lever '12 sufficiently to disengage thefree end thereof from the collar u, thereby allowing the bar g to be moved back under the action of the springtf.

From the description of the cams m, n, 0

hereinbefore described it will be understood that the worm-wheel 19 makes one revolution during the formation of each bar; the said projection 00 must therefore be placed in such aposition upon the said wheel that it only acts upon the arm y when the bar is completed. To insure that when the machine is thus stopped the needle shall be in its uppermost position clear of the work, I form upon the cam f a tooth or projection z, and so 10- cate it thereon relatively to the movements of the needle-bar, that when the bar 1 moves to the position to shift the belt onto the loose pulley, it impinges against the collar g which is at the same time moved into its path.

In order to minimize the concussion between the tooth z and the collar g the latter is provided with a buffer spring a.

2 is a spring detent pawl which engages with a notch in the periphery of the cam f to prevent the machine from being worked in the wrong direction.

The operation of the machine hereinbefore described is as follows:-Assume a piece of work to be placed in the work-holding clamp h as hereinbefore described and assume the belt to be running upon the loose pulley q and the roller to be in operative contact with its cam 70 as shown in Fig. 1. The lever s is now depressed in order to shift the belt onto the fast pulley whereby motion will be imparted to the needle and, at the same time, the cam 70 being rotated from the driving shaft 0, a to-and-fro motion will be imparted to the work-holding clamp in order to apply the long stitches as indicated in Fig. 21. When a sufficient number of long stitches has been applied, which number is regulated by the shape of the cam n, the said cam acts upon the lever n to shift the roller 10 out of contact with the cam it and at the same time the cam 1% has moved so far as to allow the roller Z to make contact with its cam Z under the action of the spring Z so that the necessary movement is applied to the work-holding clamp for the application of the overlying stitches, the said clamp being at the same time caused to travel by means of the cam 0 in order to lay the said overlying stitches side by side also as indicated in Fig. 21. By the time a sufiicient number of overlying stitches has been applied the wheel 19 has traveled so far that the projection 0c thereon comes into contact with the arm y of the lever 12 whereby the latter is lowered to disengage the said lever from the catch or collar u so that the spring (1 moves the belt fork g to throw the belt onto the loose pulley; the collar q being at the same time thrown into the path of the tooth z upon the cam f whereby the latter is stopped in the required position.

In the foregoing description I have referred to the starting of the machine as being effected through the medium of a hand-lever; if desired, however, this operation may be effected through the medium of a foot-lever.

In this case I form the arm t with an extension t, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and to the said extension I connect a chain t which is suitably attached to a pedal.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. The combination in a sewing-machine for finishing button-holes of the work-holding clamp, the clamp traversing cams, the levers intermediate such clamp and cams, the three cams m. 'n. 0., a changeable worm-wheelp. to which they are secured, the stud p which carries said wheel, and worm p upon the driving shaft of the machine, and serving to drive said wheel, all substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with stitch-forming mechanism of the clamp traversing cams k. and Z the'governing cams m. "n 0.,the levers m M. it. operated thereby, and the change wheel 19. p. with the driving slot 0. gear-pinion k and gear 76. and whereby by changing of the Wheels p.11 the number and closeness of the stitches may be regulated substantially as described.

3. In a button-hole finishing machine, the combination with the work-holding clamp of a guide plate It, a stop or guide such as 01, moving in such plate, means substantially as set forth for moving such guide, arm 11?, and spring W, the combination being and operating substantially as set forth.

4. In a button-hole finishing machine having awork-holding clamp adapted to be moved in one direction to apply a series of long stitches, and then in another direction to apply a series of overlying stitches, the combination with the said clamp, of lever is. and its pivoted arm 70 and operating cam 10*, lover Z, its pivoted arm it, and its operating cam 1 of the peripheral cams m. n. on wormshaft 19, and whereby said arms are alternately moved into and out of contact with the main operating cam, substantially as described.

5. In a button-hole finishing machine, having a work-holding clamp applied to be operated as described, and having a sliding bar and abelt-shifting fork fixed thereto, the combination therewith of a collar, (1 a cam or disk upon the main driving shaft provided with a tooth adapted when the said bar is shifted, to impinge against said collar which is at the same time thrown into the path of the said tooth, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7 WILLIAM FULTON FAIR.

Witnesses:

G. F. REDFERN, JOHN E. BOUSFIELD, Of the firm of G. F. Redfern ct 00.,4 South Street, Ftnsbury, London, Patent Agents.

IIO 

